SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:27
Y aconteció al mediodía, que Elías se burlaba de ellos, diciendo: Gritad en alta voz, que dios es; por ventura está conversando, o tiene algún empeńo, o va de camino; o duerme, y despertará.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 18:27
Verse 27. At noon-Elijah mocked them] Had not Elijah been conscious of the Divine protection, he certainly would not have used such freedom of speech while encompassed by his enemies. Cry aloud] Make a great noise; oblige him by your vociferations to attend to your suit.
For he is a god] awh µyhla yk ki Elohim hu, he is the supreme God, you worship him as such, he must needs be such, and no doubt jealous of his own honour and the credit of his votaries! A strong irony.
He is talking] He may be giving audience to some others; let him know that he has other worshippers, and must not give too much of his attention to one. Perhaps the word jyŤ siach should be interpreted as in the margin, he meditateth; he is in a profound revery; he is making some god-like projects; he is considering how he may best keep up his credit in the nation. Shout! let him know that all is now at stake.
He is pursuing] He may be taking his pleasure in hunting, and may continue to pursue the game in heaven, till he have lost all his credit and reverence on earth.
The original words, wl gyŤ sig lo, are variously translated; He is in a hotel, in diversorio, VULGATE. Perhaps he is delivering oracles, mh pote crhmatizei autov, SEPTUAGINT. Or, he is on some special business.
Therefore, cry aloud! He is in a journey] He has left his audience chamber, and is making some excursions; call aloud to bring him back, as his all is at stake.
Peradventure he sleepeth] Rab. S. Jarchi gives this the most degrading meaning; I will give it in Latin, because it is too coarse to be put in English; Fortassis ad locum secretum abiit, ut ventrem ibi exomeret; "Perhaps he is gone to the - ." This certainly reduces Baal to the lowest degree of contempt, and with it the ridicule and sarcasm are complete.
Among Asiatic idolaters their gods have different functions to fulfill, and require sleep and rest. Vishnoo sleeps four months in the year. Budhoo is represented in his temple as sleep, though his eyes are open. Vayoo manages the winds; Varoona, the waters; Indra, the clouds, &c.; and according to many fables in the Pooranas, the gods are often out on journeys, expeditions, &c.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 27. And it came to pass at noon , etc.] When they had been from the time of the morning sacrifice until now invoking their deity to no purpose: that Elijah mocked them ; he jeered and bantered them: and said, cry aloud ; your god does not hear you; perhaps, if you raise your voice higher, he may; for he is a god ; according to your esteem of him, and, if so, he surely may hear you: unless either he is talking ; with others about matters of moment and importance, who are waiting on him with their applications to him; or he is in meditation; in a deep study upon some things difficult to be resolved: or he is pursuing ; his studies, or his pleasures, or his enemies, to overtake them; or he is employed on business f391 : or he is in a journey ; gone to visit his friends, or some parts of his dominions; so Homer represents Jupiter gone to pay a visit to the Ethiopians, and as yesterday gone to a feast, and all the gods following him, from whence he would not return until twelve days; and in like manner Lucian speaks of the gods, mocking at them: or, peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked ; with a loud crying to him: it being now noon, Abarbinel thinks this refers to a custom of sleeping after dinner; Homer also speaks of the sleep of the gods, and which used to be at noon; and therefore the worshippers of Baal ceased then to call upon him; and it is said f395 , the Heathens feared to go into the temples of their gods at noon, lest they should disturb them; but such is not the true God, the God of Israel, he neither slumbers nor sleeps, ( <19C104> Psalm 121:4).
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 21-40 - Many of the people wavered in their judgment, and varied in their practice. Elijah called upon them to determine whether Jehovah or Baa was the self-existent, supreme God, the Creator, Governor, and Judge of the world, and to follow him alone. It is dangerous to halt between the service of God and the service of sin, the dominion of Christ and the dominion of our lusts. If Jesus be the only Saviour, let us cleave to him alone for every thing; if the Bible be the world of God, let u reverence and receive the whole of it, and submit our understanding to the Divine teaching it contains. Elijah proposed to bring the matter to a trial. Baal had all the outward advantages, but the event encourage all God's witnesses and advocates never to fear the face of man. The God that answers by fire, let him be God: the atonement was to be mad by sacrifice, before the judgment could be removed in mercy. The God therefore that has power to pardon sin, and to signify it by consumin the sin-offering, must needs be the God that can relieve from the calamity. God never required his worshippers to honour him in the manner of the worshippers of Baal; but the service of the devil, thoug sometimes it pleases and pampers the body, yet, in other things, reall is cruel to it, as in envy and drunkenness. God requires that we mortify our lusts and corruptions; but bodily penances and severitie are no pleasure to him. Who has required these things at your hands? few words uttered in assured faith, and with fervent affection for the glory of God, and love to the souls of men, or thirstings after the Lord's image and his favour, form the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man, which availeth much. Elijah sought not his own glory but that of God, for the good of the people. The people are all agreed convinced, and satisfied; Jehovah, he is the God. Some, we hope, ha their hearts turned, but most of them were convinced only, no converted. Blessed are they that have not seen what these saw, yet have believed, and have been wrought upon by it, more than they that saw it.
Original Hebrew
ויהי 1961 בצהרים 6672 ויהתל 2048 בהם אליהו 452 ויאמר 559 קראו 7121 בקול 6963 גדול 1419 כי 3588 אלהים 430 הוא 1931 כי 3588 שׂיח 7879 וכי 3588 שׂיג 7873 לו וכי 3588 דרך 1870 לו אולי 194 ישׁן 3463 הוא 1931 ויקץ׃ 3364
